Spring gun or tot pistol



(No Model.)

D. RHODES.

SPRING GUN OR TOY PISTOL.

Patented Aug. 16, 1887.

g ams mfi/wg/m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ONE-HALF TO LOUIS A.

DENT, OF SAME PLACE.

SPRING-GUN OR TOY PISTOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part; of Letters Patent No. 368,307, dated August 16, 1887. Application filed December 23, 1886. Serial No. 222,346. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL RHoDEs, acitizen of the United States, residing at Vashington city, in the Distriet of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Guns or Toy Pistols; and I do doclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The invention willfirst be described in conncction with the drawings, and then pointed' out in the claims.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevation, partly broken away to show the spring and the butterfly-stem with its diametrical pin. Fig. 2 is a plan View, broken away at the rear end to show the barrel and spring in the handle. Fig. 8 is a transverse section on line a: a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail View in perspective of the butterfly. Fig. 5 is a side view and cross-section of a modification of the barrel shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 6 is a detail view of a modification of the trigger shown in perspective and in connection with the barrel.

In the drawings, A represents the barrel, which is slotted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, or grooved, as shown in Fig. 5. The two slots or grooves a a run spirally around the barrel and diametrically opposite to each other from the stop a at the outer end to the points a.

B is the spring coiled within the barrel and resting with one end upon the bottom of a groove, 0, in the straight handle O.

D is the trigger or lever fulcrumed at d on the handle, supported at the rear end by the upwardly-pressing spring E, and provided in front with the curved edge d and rear cavities, (2, thus forming a wing, D, on each side.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings I show a modified form of trigger, which consists of the tube M, having the bow m cross-slot m, and diametrieally-opposite end slots, m" m.

F represents the'butterfly toy,whieh is well known to the public. In order to use this with my spring-gun, I apply the pinf, which passes through a diametrical hole of the stem f near its free end. In order to re-enforce the stem where the pin is applied, I prefer to employ a tube, f which has opposite holes to register with that in the stem. The stem f is placed in the barrel, as shown in Fig.

l of the drawings, so that its end will bear upon the top of the spring, while the pin f will be in the opposite slots or grooves a a. The hand is then pressed upon the end of the stem, between the branches F F, until the trigger-wings D D are lifted by the pin f and allowed to fall, so as to bring the ends of said pin in the cavities cl". The gun or pistol is then securely cooked, and the spring B under very considerable tension, which may be made more or less. \Vhen it is desired to propel the butterfly into the air, the rear end of the trigger is pressed down, so as to lift the wings D D, when the stored-up power in the spring B expels the butterfly from the barrel.

Having thus described all that is necessary to a full understanding of myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a spring-gun, the barrel made with two diametricallyopposite spiral slots or grooves, each extending from the outer end stop, a, to the point a, in combination with a suitable spring and trigger, for the purpose specified.

2. The lever-trigger D, fulcrumcd at don the handle, supported at the rear end by the upwardly-pressing spring E, and provided with front wings, D D, convexly curved at d and concavely at (1 in combination with a barrel having two diametrically-opposite slots c or grooves, whereby a cross-pinned stem may be held against'a compressed spring, the locking action being automatic, while finger-pressure will release the spring, as set forth.

3. The butterfly toy F, having a cross-pin, f, near the lower end of its stem f, to adapt it to be shot from a pistol or gun, in the manner described.

4. Atoy pistol consisting of abarrel havrear arm, substantially as shown and dea ing two diametrically-opposite and parallel scribed. 10 slots or grooves in which side arms of the y In testimony whereof Iaffix my signaturein missile travel spirally, a propelling-spring presence of two witnesses.

5 coiled in the barrel and handle, and a spring- DANIEL RHODES.

trigger which automatically locks the missile-arms to hold the propelling-spring compressed and is tripped by pressure upon its Witnesses:

A. RUPPER'I, SoLoN O. KEMON. 

